Kimberly's Run
Chapter Nine
By Captainkodak1

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Kim and Ron snuggled down into a pile of soft, clean furs. For the first time in days they had full stomachs, were warm and were resting with ease. Box was the consummate host. He had given them some food before showing them to a room built into the rock face of this place where he lived.

They were not so sure he lived more than he existed. Ron had been able to cook the food given to them. It wasn't perfect but it was filling. Kim was now convinced that Ron could make anything taste good. Right now, though, they were exhausted. She curled up next to him, placed her head on his shoulder and sighed. They had been on the run now for several days. Ron had shown that he was more than able to hold his own, but right now that didn't matter to her. This was where she wanted to be.

Ron's arm came down around Kim's smooth shoulders and she purred in contentment. Her right hand started to move up on down his chest. He was not heavily muscled but what he had was nice and smooth. He gently kissed her on the top of her head. A small smile crossed her face as she lifted herself up to gaze into his eyes. Ron grinned that little grin that she had grown to love. Tilting her head, she gently gave him a kiss, then a longer one. After that, neither one of them counted the number of kisses, nor their length. They did not hear the clanking or see the glowing eye and normal eye looking at them from a hidden slot in the wall.

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Will's mazecar pulled into the station and stopped. He opened the clamshell door and stepped out onto the landing. Frost covered the walls. Will touched the control to his warmsuit. This should be easy. He would go up and recover the corpses of the idiot cook and that incompetent girl who thought she was a Sandman. The "prisoners" would recognize him as a Sandman and give him the respect he was due. They would answer him and give him the cooperation he demanded. After all, he was a Sandman and they were vermin. They were tossed aside to this place because they could not function in a proper society. He would be sure to put them in their place when he got up there.

Stuffing his DS gun in his holster, Will started up the stairs.

The bright sun caught him off guard for a moment until the autosunglasses slid out of his hood and covered his eyes. The door sealed behind him but he didn't care. He had the codes to open the door. He looked around and noticed the open area in front of him. There appeared to be a circle of holes surrounding the central area. A group of figures emerged from the caves. One of them approached him.

"I'm looking two people. One is a girl with red hair; the other is a man with blonde hair."

The figure approached Will and pulled back the hood. A rugged, wrinkled face stared at him. The right side of the man's face was covered in scar tissue. His eyes surveyed Will. A hostile grin crossed the man's face.

"Why should I help you, Sandman?"

Will faced the man with his hand on his gun.

"Yes, I am a Sandman, so youwill answer the question. Have you seen the two I'm looking for?"

Warden grinned at Will.

"I'd tell you to go to Hell but that's where you already are. You gots no power here, Sandman."

Will noticed that the others were closing on him in a semicircle. He stepped out from under the overhang and pulled the gun free from its holster.

"I've got all the power I needright here. I'm William and I can kill you for not answering me immediately. But, I'm feeling gracious. Tell me what I want to know and I'll leave you alone."

Warden smiled.

"That would be hard to do without your gun."

"Wha…?" Will said.

A thin shadow came down from above. Will barely heard the flick and crack of the twisted leather whip that snatched the gun from his hand. He spun to look up and saw one of the others standing on the top of the overhang. His gun was sitting in his hands. Will turned to see the others moving in.

"Well, we gots us a Sandman who thinks he's somebody. Sorry to tell you, Sandman, but we only got three rules here."

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Kim opened her eyes and stretched her arms above her head. Reaching underneath the furs, she pulled down her tank top which had ridden up over the night. She blushed slightly as she recalled the activity that caused it to ride up. The other part of her outfit was still in the correct place. The fur bed they were in was soft and comfortable. Getting up and out of it was not what she wanted to do, but they had to keep moving. Stopping too long on one place could lead to disaster. She rolled over to look at Ron. He had his arm curled up behind his pillow. Reaching out with her hand, she twirled some of his hair. She had this strange feeling about him, a feeling she could not place it. She had never heard anyone talk about how she felt. Just thinking of Ron made her heart race. A warm feeling came over her just being with him, and when he touched her, a warm rush came over her entire body. The word "love" came to mind, but what she felt for Ron was so far above anything she had ever thought possible.

Kim turned and crawled out from under the furs. She stepped onto the floor of furs and stepped over to where her pack was. As she bent over to reach inside her back, low wolf whistle came from the direction of the bed. She spun around to see Ron propped up on the bed, a big grin on his face.

"Now I could get used to getting up to that view."

She sauntered over to the bed and crossed over to him on her knees. She slowly approached Ron until their foreheads were touching. She turned her head to the side and gave him a quick peck on the lips.

"And it's all for you. "

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They got up, dressed and started looking for their host. So far the strange being had been considerate, even friendly. But this world had already shown the two of them that looks could be deceiving and problems could appear from around any corner. They found a mazecar station.

Kim knelt, studied the controls and shook her head.

"I can't do a thing. Without knowing where we need to go, a mazecar is useless. We need to know what the next stop is. Didn't Ballard ever tell you where you needed to go?"

Ron shook his head.

"Nope. No one except Ballard knows all the stops. That way if one of them is caught by the Sand… if one of them is caught then all they know is one stop."

Kim stood and took Ron's hand. As they walked through the corridors, more and more works of ice art appeared. Some were of animals or birds, but most were people, both men and women. Some fought other people; others fought animals.

"A-h-h-h, my guests. I hope that the two of you had a good rest. I trust the food was acceptable. Most humans are just walking stomachs, though the two of you did ask nicely."

Kim's eyes traveled over Box's body. He smiled.

"What am I? Your eyes are asking, but you remain silent. I am not a man nor am I a machine. I am the consummate artist. My fantastic creativity flows beyond simple creations of man but more than the repetitive actions of a machine. The man conceives with passion. The machine executes with precision."

Kim looked at some of the figures around them.

"They're wonderful; almost alive."

Box smiled.

"A-h-h-h, but wait for the winds. My birds. MY BIRDS! They sing, my birds. My walrus breathes, my bear grunts. The people, they come, they go. I find their stiffened bodies in the ice. But now I have found you. You must pose for me! Yes, a pose of two lovers."

Kim shook her head.

"We really need to leave; do you have some food that we can take with us?"

Box's face leered.

"Leave? Why would you want to leave this palace? Food? Why do you need food? Art! ART is the food of the soul! Food is the worthless food of the body. You must model for my other masterpiece."

Kim and Ron took a step back.

"We really need to leave. Thank you for the rest and the food. What do you mean, 'other masterpiece'?"

Box turned and pulled a rope hanging from the wall. A curtain of furs fell and the sight behind it made Ron gape and Kim blush to the roots of her hair. Behind the curtain of furs was a large statue of ice, a statue of them, as they had been night before. Kim's figure arched her back above Ron's figure as it lay below her. Their ice faces full of love.

Kim stammered a moment.

"Ron, I think we really need to get out of here."

Box pointed a metal hand at the two of them. A small aperture opened on the end of the index finger. Kim and Ron heard two small puffs. Looking down they each had a small dart embedded in their chests. Their heads began to swirl and they staggered to their knees before collapsing to the icy floor. Ron held his eyes open long enough to see Box leaning over him.

"Ah, yes. You each will pose for me; for my masterpiece of love and death!"

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Ron's head swam out of a gray darkness as he opened his eyes. His head felt like it was three sizes too big. His vision cleared as he looked around the room he was in. It was a large room made of ice with the floor covered in polar bear furs. His eyes grew wide when they fell on Kim. She had been stripped down to her underwear and was held spread-eagled in the air tied to an ice frame. Below her was a large clear block of ice that had a trough cut into it. The trough was full of water. Ron pulled at his arms but they were tied behind him around the pillar of ice he was bound to. Bear skins kept him from touching the ice. Their clothes and packs lay in a pile next to the wall.

Kim moaned, opened her eyes and looked at Ron. Her eyes widened as she looked at him. Then she looked down and began thrashing against her bonds. She struggled for a few moments and then stopped to gaze back at Ron.

"A-h-h-h! My two guests have awakened to take part in my next masterpiece."

Kim starting thrashing again.

"Why are you doing this? We haven't done anything to you! All we wanted to do is leave."

Box sneered.

"That's what all of you want to do: leave! I know where you want to go. You want to go to him. I see him. I feel him."

Box closes his eyes and raised his arms. He began to speak in a monotone.

"He is in blackness, humming, clicking, all alone,
He has millions, billions, trillions of neurons.
He lives in the maze.
He is the maze.
He is my brother.
He nurtured leaders.
He rests the weary.
Great birds are above him.
There is green around him.
Briars surround him.
I feel him.
He shows me the way.
I can leave hell."

Box lowered his hands and then wheeled around and moved to an ice panel on the far side of the room. He got behind the pedestal and started to move some controls. Motors hidden somewhere behind the ice panels began to whirr and hum. Kim screamed as the frame she was bound to jumped. It began a slow descent.

The half-metal half skin of Box's face grinned.

"Ah, yes. You haven't done anything but you will. You will be my greatest work yet: "Death of Two Lovers". You see, that water is just at freezing. The frame will move down into the water and dip the lovely girl under. Then it will rise up again only to lower her again. Each time it lowers it will remain under water for a little longer. Then, just before she drowns, I will pour liquid nitrogen into the channels of ice block. The remaining water will instantly freeze and entomb her for all eternity; a vision of beauty for all to see. Then as she is frozen the block will slide forward and the wall behind the man will form another trough. As he watches his love frozen, water will surround him and he too will be entombed in ice."

The frame holding Kim began its slow descent into the water. Water was forced out as Kim and the frame were submerged. Ron saw Kim grab a breath of air just before she went under. He watched as the frame stopped holding her underwater for just a few seconds, then began to ascend. Her head came out of the water and she gasped for air. Ron struggled against the ropes holding him. His struggles moved the furs and his arm and hands pressed against the ridge of ice behind him. An idea crossed his mind and he knew he would have to act fast.

Kim shuddered from her dunking in the cold water. She had to struggle against the shock of entering the cold water and not gasp for air. She looked down to see Ron working against the band of leather that bound his hands. He was up to something but she could not see what he was doing. She had to distract Box so he would not see Ron trying to get free. She began to struggle against her bonds as the frame started down again. Box watched her in delight.

"Yes, my precious. Struggle. Let your death be a struggle of art; a lasting battle against death."

Ron watched as Kim was dunked under the water again. Her hair floated in the water as she was held there underwater. Their eyes locked as Ron worked his hands behind him. One of the jobs he had at work was doing ice sculptures. He had learned how to use his hands to melt the ice in shapes. Now he was working at sharpening the ridge behind him. He could only hope that he could get free before Kim either drowned or was frozen.

The frame rose again and pulled Kim from the water. She shivered uncontrollably. She knew she had to hang on a little longer to give Ron time.

"Hey, metal head!" Kim taunted. "Is this the best you can do?"

Box smiled at Kim.

"A-h-h-h, my precious is still full of life. I wonder how you will feel after your next trip under the water. Maybe I should go ahead and freeze you. No. I will let you rest under the water again before I decide."

Box pressed another button and the frame submerged Kim once again. She held her breath, but her body shivered so hard that it was difficult to hold. She didn't think she would survive another dunking. Just as darkness began to fill her vision the frame was lifted from the water. She took in gasps of air as soon as her head cleared the water. Her hair was already full of ice. Then she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. Ron was free and quietly sliding over to her pack. Her GUN! If she could just distract Box just one more time, Ron might have the time he needed.

She forced a scream from her lungs and shook her head from side to side. Ice sprayed from her hair.

Box laughed

"So! This will be the last trip down, and then, my precious, you will be entombed in art!"

"NOT SO FAST BUCKET HEAD!"

Box whirled around to see Ron standing over Kim's pack, the remains of the leather straps hanging from his wrists. Kim's gun was leveled in Ron's hands at Box's chest.

"FOOL! Do you really believe that could hurt me?"

Ron grinned.

"Maybe not but I bet it could hurt something else."

Ron spun and opened fire at the animals and birds that Box had fashioned. They shattered under the blows of the fire that Ron laid down.

"MY BIRDS! MY BIRDS!" Box screamed as he hurtled toward Ron. Ron dove out of the way and fired at the pillar he had been tied to. The pillar shattered and fell forward onto Box, pinning him to the floor. Box smashed at the ice pillar with his metal hand.

"You! YOU! You destroyedeverything! My birds! MY BIRDS!"

Ron ran up the ramp that went around the block of ice to reach Kim. The frame started down again but Ron grabbed Kim and pulled her back to lie on the furs. He grabbed one of his knives that he had pulled from his pack and sliced the leather thongs holding Kim. She was barely conscious as she gazed up at him. He wrapped her in some of the furs and carried her out of the room. He set her down just for a moment to grab their packs and their clothes. Picking her up again he started to run through the maze of hallways, hoping to find a way out. Box screamed and pummeled at the ice pillar that held him.

Ron ran through the twists and turns of the ice halls until Kim motioned for him to stop. Her teeth were still chattering as he laid her on the floor.

"R-R-R-o-o—nnn. W-W-wweee nee-e-e-ed to get to th-h-h-he m-m-m-maa-a-aze car st-t-t-t-ation."

Ron wrapped her tighter in the furs.

"But Kim, we don't know where to go."

Kim nodded.

"B-b-b-box t-t-t-t-told us w-w-w-where to g-g-g-go. J-j-j-j-ust g-g-g-et us to t-t-t-he station."

Ron held Kim's head in his hands.

"But Kim, if I don't get you warmed up, you might die."

Kim shook her head.

"I-I-I'm getting bet-t-ter. But we need to g-g-get out of here before h-h-he gets free. You c-c-c-c-an warm me up once we get a m-m-mazec-c-c-car. And w-w-we don't know where W-w-w-w-ill is, so we need to k-k-k-k-k-eep moving. P-p-p-p-personally I think B-b-box's ego and W-w-w-will's will go together quite n-n-n-n-icely."

Ron nodded, picked her up and ran for the mazecar station. Soon he found the station and set Kim down in front of the controls. With her hands shaking, she started to press a number of buttons and soon a mazecar appeared. The clamshell door hissed open as Ron helped Kim into the car. He put all their clothes and packs in the car and then pulled shut the door. Kim leaned forward to press the button to start the car. It accelerated into the darkness of the tunnel. Ron pulled some dry clothes out of her pack and handed them to Kim. A small smile crossed her face.

"I'm s-s-s--so cold I c-c-c-c-an barely m-m-m-move. Would you h-h-h-help me change? P-p-p-p-lease and thank you."

A grin spread across Ron's face.

"Boooyahh!"

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Will rubbed his arm where the blade of the fighter had sliced his warmsuit open. He sat on the floor of the mazecar station. When the inmates of Hell came at him he dropped a flash grenade in front of them. It took him but seconds to enter his card and code into the door. It hissed out of the way and he tried to jump through. But one of the inmates sliced at him with an ice axe made into a blade. The blade sliced through his suit and into his arm. Will spun and took the man's legs out from under him. With a quick blow across the neck he fractured the man's trachea. Grabbing the choking man, Will threw him through the open door, knocking down the ones coming up behind him. There was a pop and hiss and a hole was blown in the concrete beside his head. His DS gun! Will slapped the controls to the door, slamming it shut. The inmates on the other side pounded on the door. Then several distinct shots pounded against the door from the other side. He slid down the wall and sat on the floor just inside the door. As he waited to regain his senses the others on the other side of the door stopped pounding on the door and left him alone.

After a few minutes, Will staggered to his feet and headed for the mazecar landing. Standing in front of the callbox he input the call for the car and his destination. New Middleton. He would have to go back to base now. He's lost his gun, most if not all of his equipment, and quite a bit of pride. Somehow the amateur and the idiot had not only survived but beaten their way through the inmates. How they did it he could not understand. Right now, the infirmary, a hot shower and a meal sounded good to him. He could only hope that somehow they would be able to track any movement in the area.

A mazecar pulled into the station and Will plopped down into the seat. Pulling the door down he pressed the control to send the car to its destination. The darkness of the tunnel enveloped him as much as his mood did. If he ever caught up with those two there would be hell to pay.

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Ron lay back in the seat of the mazecar as it traveled down the tunnels. Kim was asleep in his arms. He had handed her the dry clothes and helped her change. She giggled when he closed his eyes.

"Ron, I-i-i-imagine you have seen p-p-plenty before."

Ron thought before answering.

"Maybe, but I haven't seen yours. Yet."

Kim smiled as she finished changing and then settled underneath their one dry fur. Ron joined her as she cuddled up to him.

"Y-I-I-I-i-i-i-i! Watch those cold hands, Kim."

Kim just murmured and snuggled closer. Ron waited for her to move again then realized that she was breathing slowly and deeply. Soon, a slight snore came from her lips. Ron smiled and placed his arm around her, pulling her even closer. She felt like an ice cube but at least her teeth had stopped chattering. He looked down into her face and then with one finger gently traced the outline of her nose and cheek. Her skin was so incredibly soft. He placed his head on top of hers and faded off to sleep.

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The mazecar pulled into a station as the car announced.

"You are entering a restricted area. I am not permitted to proceed further without authorization."

Kim hit the button to open the door and climbed out. She motioned for Ron to follow as she pulled the packs from the mazecar. He climbed out and put on his pack as Kim allowed the car to go back up the tunnel.

"I have clearance to tell the car to proceed but that would show up on any trace being run on me. That would be like saying 'Hi, guys! We're here! Come kill us!'"

Ron nodded.

"But where are we going and how are we going to get there?"

Kim pushed herself up on her toes and gave him a kiss on his nose.

"We're going to meet the Thinker, and we're going to walk."

Ron blinked.

"The THINKER?"

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Greetings all. I hope that you enjoyed the latest edition of Kimberly's Run. Kim and Ron are away from Box and Will for the time being. Now they will face other dangers as they travel to their new destination. They are going to meet the Thinker. Who is the Thinker? Hang on till the next chapter.

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This is the Captain
Right hand salute